A New Bill For Teachers

"The measure we are proposing is only a beginning,'' said Kennedy,
chairman of the Labor and Human Resources Committee. "We have set an
ambitious national goal to enhance the quality of teaching in America,
and it is time to start meeting it.''

Leaders of the two national teachers' unions were present when the
measures were unveiled on Capitol Hill. National Education Association
President Keith Geiger urged quick action on the legislation. He said
the bills take a comprehensive approach "to improving the daily lives
of teachers, improving the attractiveness of teaching as a viable
career choice, and rectifying the serious shortage of teachers in key
disciplines.''

"We are facing a national crisis,'' said Albert Shanker, president
of the American Federation of Teachers, "and if the Federal government,
particularly our elected officials, are seriously committed to
strengthening our education system, they should support these
bills.''

Kennedy's "excellence in teaching act'' would re-establish the
Teacher Corps. Candidates accepted into the new corps would receive a
scholarship of $8,000 annually for two years of graduate or
undergraduate study. In exchange, they would make a commitment to teach
in a specific location or discipline--five years in a geographic area
experiencing a teacher shortage, four years in an inner-city school, or
four years in a special program for math and science.

The legislation would also establish a Senior Teacher Corps for
educators with at least eight years of statecertified teaching. Senior
teachers who agreed to stay in teaching for another five years or to
teach for four years at an inner-city school could receive a half-year
paid sabbatical to hone their professional skills.

In addition, the Kennedy bill targets the recruitment of minorities
by allocating money to help school districts and colleges develop
programs to encourage high school students to enter teaching; to
strengthen teacher-education programs at institutions with high
minority enrollments; and to aid minorities who want to change
professions and enter teaching.

Pell, chairman of the Labor and Human Resource Committee's education
subcommittee, described his proposed "national teacher act of 1989'' as
a "modest, targeted approach to enhancing the teaching profession.''
His measure is designed to complement Kennedy's, but in the areas where
they overlap, Pell's bill would provide more funding.

The measure would establish loanforgiveness programs to repay loans
obtained by student teachers in their junior and senior years. Students
who taught in schools with high percentages of Chapter 1 students could
have their loans forgiven over a five-year period.

The bills would also establish magnet schools for teaching; provide
grants to train teachers of bilingual, early childhood, and special
education; support studies on the effect of class size on instruction;
and set up inservice academies for teachers and administrators.

Ground Rules for Posting
We encourage lively debate, but please be respectful of others. Profanity and personal attacks are prohibited. By commenting, you are agreeing to abide by our user agreement.
All comments are public.